The Cursed Child Just Had to Ruin Our Favorite Harry Potter Death
Remember The Goblet of Fire moment when you couldn't hold back tears? Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has completely ruined it.
Warning: massive spoilers ahead!
Though Cedric Diggory, played by Robert Pattinson, appeared in one installment of the Harry Potter franchise only, he has become a much-loved character. It was partly because he was portrayed as an honorable person, partly because his death at the hands of Voldemort has become a shocking but significant moment of the franchise as it marked a turning point for the main characters and their understanding of the dangers they were facing.
However, a major plot twist in the subsequent play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child totally ruined Cedric's death and diminished the impact of the original moment.
The Cursed Child revolves around Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy using a Time-Turner to alter the past with the goal of bringing back Cedric Diggory at the request of his father and niece. Though they succeed, their actions lead to a chain of events that result in Voldemort's dictatorship over the Wizarding World and Harry dying.
More than that, it is revealed that resurrected Cedric has become a Death Eater thus completely ruining the importance of his life and death in the original story. Though, eventually, the protagonists manage to bring their reality back to normal, this fact that Cedric would turn evil if he survived can never be undone.
Throughout The Goblet of Fire, Cedric is portrayed as a fair and honorable person, who doesn't support people bullying Harry, helps him with the second challenge, and gives up his chance of winning the Cup because it is fair. He is shown to be someone who prioritizes his values and principles, even when it goes against the masses. That's why fans loved him and mourned his death.
The play presents no explanation as to how or why Cedric would decide to join the Death Eaters, making it hard to believe that he would willingly join a group that stands for everything he was against.
Without any clear explanation or context, the decision comes across as forced and out of character, leading to confusion and disappointment for readers and audiences. It ultimately diminishes the impact and relevance of his death in The Goblet of Fire and makes his character seem less consistent, noble, and admirable.
No wonder, the majority of Wizarding World fans believe The Cursed Child doesn't belong in canon and should never be adapted for the big screen.